“A worthy . . . contribution to the immortal gallery of black-hole masochists that stretches from Dostoevsky’s Underground Man to the dubious heroes of Richard Greenberg plays and Noah Baumbach movies. . . . While Ben would surely say The Spoils is all about Ben, Mr. Eisenberg has seen fit to surround his leading narcissist with characters who live and breathe and react independently . . . His clever, frantic dialogue assumes an irresistible authenticity.” —Ben Brantley, New York Times (NYT Critics’ Pick)
“Jesse Eisenberg has quietly established himself as an off-Broadway scribe . . . The Spoils is equal parts comedy and morality tale.” —Wall Street Journal
“Jesse Eisenberg’s new play is a triumph . . . In it he takes his familiar avatar to its logical conclusion, going from oddball to sociopath. . . . It’s rewarding to see Eisenberg fully commit to Ben’s craziness. . . . We can’t wait to see what he’ll do next.” —New York Post
“The Spoils is Eisenberg’s best work to date . . . A strangely compelling look at young New Yorkers struggling to achieve their professional ambitions and hold on to their personal identities and values.” —Matt Windman, AM New York
“[A] terrific, fast-talking, quick-witted serious comedy . . . beautifully written . . . Eisenberg writes funny, but he is also a real storyteller—moody and dangerous and even loving.” —Newsday
“The Spoils isn’t just a moral play, it’s also a comic one . . . crackling dialogue and tête-à-têtes. The banter packs a solid dinner party’s worth of wit and poignancy.” —EntertainmentWeekly.com
“The dialogue sounds absolutely authentic . . . with just the kind of running jokes a group of smart friends would have.” —Philadelphia Inquirer
“The Spoils quickly grabs our interest and sustains it. . . . Eisenberg has created an intriguing and provocatively emotional group of characters.” —Huffington Post
“Ben is both repellent and riveting. He’s a self-dramatizing tragedy: a terror and a pity.” —Time Out New York
“Eisenberg proves himself an astute chronicler of millennial misery, satisfying a dramatic craving we didn’t realize we were having until the lights went down. It’s refreshing to see a play that speaks to this generation of young people.” —TheaterMania
“Rings achingly true for anyone who’s grown up in a distorted prism of wealth . . . There’s a rawness that pulsates through both acts of this tautly constructed play that makes for a thrilling experience . . . [A] brutally funny and deeply moving work.” —Chris Kompanek, Huffington Post
“The perfect balance of humor and heartbreak. Jesse has a very unique set of skills both as a talented writer and a talented actor. Mostly you will have one or the other. He has both.” —Kunal Nayyar
Grove Press
